To get the most out of their maintenance operations, superintendents rely on many lesser-used, but still vital, pieces of equipment. Mowers might be the machinery backbone of any golf course maintenance operation. However, without the specialty equipment that enhances mowers’ effectiveness, maintenance operations might be as appetizing as a Thanksgiving turkey without sweet potatoes or…
How a Greens Mower Has Become a Favorite of Golf Course Superintendents
A superior quality of cut and no hydraulic leaks are just two of the reliable features that have made superintendents loyal to this “neat and green” model. Golf course superintendents are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest in equipment technology, and eager to try out any new machine or mower that holds…
Coming into Bloom at Norway CC
Norway CC has repurposed a flower bed that has occupied a spot next to its ninth-hole tee for close to 20 years as a memorial garden that includes remembrance and honorary plaques on one side for both living and deceased club members. Residents of Maine might have a reputation for going about their business quietly.…
Natural Reactions
While maintaining nativeareas on their golf courses might be second nature to many superintendents, it is anything but effortless.
Kick-Starting a Career
Richard Brumm, CEC, Director of Culinary Operations at the Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Fla., knows the value of hands-on instruction. After all, he got his first job when he was 14 years old as a dishwasher at a bakery, and later worked under a master chef. Now Chef Brumm is paying his experiences…
Transformative Turf at Trinity Forest Golf Club
A signature zoysia grass and an inspired golf and grounds staff have come together at Trinity Forest Golf Club to convert a landfill in a disadvantaged section of Dallas into a new source of civic pride—and prosperity. Convert a landfill into a beautiful green space for recreation: check. Revive one of the most endangered ecosystems…
Playing By Their Own Rules
Most golf-industry efforts to grow the game include initiatives to introduce the sport to women. And that’s “A-OK” with Head Golf Professional Garrett Kent, who started the “It’s OK” golf league at El Dorado (Ark.) Golf & Country Club this summer. The program is designed as a women’s empowerment group, to allow females to learn…
A Course of Action
Golf course superintendents can rely on their experience and expertise, coupled with the know-how of others in the industry, to lead successful implementation of renovation and restoration projects. Second in a two-part series It’s one thing to make plans. It’s another to implement them. Just ask any superintendent who is overseeing a major golf course…
Two Thousand Close Friends
Any large undertaking needs a blueprint for success, and the folks at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., have put together a master plan for one they now plan to hold each year. In August 2017 the property held a benefit concert, featuring country music artist Cole Swindell, on the Friday night during the PGA…
High Water Marks
While irrigation inputs are weather-dependent, golf course superintendents have a number of tools at their disposal to keep their systems running smoothly and their properties in top condition, no matter what conditions Mother Nature may impose. Superintendents constantly need to adapt to the unpredictable whims of Mother Nature, especially when it comes to irrigation…
Knowing the Score
When Dedham (Mass.) Country and Polo Club (DCPC) renovated its golf course from mid-September 2017 to late May 2018, the membership closely monitored the progress of the project. And that’s just the way the club’s staff wanted it. In fact, they gave the members the means to do it. The DCPC staff devised a “renovation…
The Club That Plays Together…
The annual employee-member golf tournament at Lords Valley Country Club has helped to form closer relationships and understanding through spirited but friendly competition. Member-member and member-guest tournaments are common occurrences at golf course properties. The staff at Lords Valley (Pa.) Country Club, however, has added a different spin to its tournament lineup. Since 2016, Lords Valley…
Getting in Line
Asking golfers to make divots in a linear pattern while using the driving range at Farmington Country Club has reduced the amount of time needed, and the amount of material required, for repairing the turf in the club’s practice areas. No matter how much they love the game, most golfers can’t play like professionals. But…
Letting Nature Take the Course
After earning certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, Paradise Valley Country Club now holds an annual Audubon Day event to educate members and their children on the importance of protecting natural resources. Sometimes, it only takes a short while to make a longlasting impression on the next generation. Just ask the folks at Paradise…
Sweet Revenge
Sun City Hilton Head hosts an annual “Superintendent’s Revenge” event, including unusual obstacles on every hole. And you thought it was hard to get a Masters Tournament badge. At Sun City Hilton Head in Bluffton, S.C., a chance to tee it up for the annual “Superintendent’s Revenge” event is on par with trying to gain…